An Ruo stared at his handsome face for a long moment, his words echoing in her mind as a strange feeling washed over her.
She bit her lip and suddenly said, "How about I take you out to eat tomorrow?"
"Hmm?" The man raised an eyebrow, a light smile curling at the corners of his mouth, his demeanor strikingly handsome. "What made you think of eating out?"
"I just got paid recently, and besides..." An Ruo felt a pang of guilt, trying to mask it with a smile on her face. "We haven't gone out to eat together since... since we got married."
Shen Xiaoxing kept a gentle smile on his face, his gaze tender as he looked at the girl, his dark eyes reflecting her forced cheerfulness.
What condition had she agreed to with Shen Tingfeng?
"I promised last time I'd take you to eat wontons at the school gate. Let's go tomorrow."
He agreed with a smile, "Alright."
They watched TV for a while until the servant announced dinner was ready. An Ruo sat beside him, taking care to serve him throughout the meal.
Shen Xiaoxing was surprisingly cooperative—whatever she picked for him, he ate.
Steward Xu watched their harmonious interaction, his smile deepening. "Madam, please try this dish too. I heard you like sweets, so the young master specifically had the kitchen prepare it for you."
Her heart trembled slightly. An Ruo stared blankly at the man beside her, disbelief flickering in her eyes.
"You've been staying up late working these past few days. Work is important, but you need to take care of yourself too."
An Ruo's nose suddenly stung. She quickly lowered her head, poking at the rice in her bowl as if trying to fill some hollow space in her heart.
"How is it? Good?"
An Ruo paused, then hurriedly picked up a piece of sweet and sour spare ribs—tangy and sweet, her favorite dish.
"It's good."
"Then eat more."
"Okay."
An Ruo bit her lip hard, the guilt in her heart growing heavier. She didn't know what to do to avoid hurting him while still protecting An Che.
...
An Ruo stared at the bottle of pills in her bag, taking a few deep breaths. She didn't want to take it out in front of him—even if he couldn't see it, she didn't want to add to this sense of guilt.
She walked over and asked, "Do you want to take a shower?"
The man sat on the edge of the bed, his empty eyes fixed straight ahead. "I already showered this afternoon."
"Okay." An Ruo nodded. "Then I'll go shower first."
"Mm."
When the bathroom door closed, the sound of water trickling came from inside a few seconds later...
The man leaning against the headboard let his dark eyes turn cold. He threw off the covers, got out of bed, and walked straight to the coat rack where the lady's bag hung.
With practiced ease, he unzipped it and pulled out the unlabeled bottle of pills. He unscrewed the cap and saw it was full of pills.
So, she had already made her choice.
Shen Xiaoxing's fingers gradually tightened, a chill creeping into his dark eyes.
Ha, as if anyone in this world would truly care for him!
Twenty minutes later, the girl emerged with her hair loose.
The man was still leaning against the headboard, his phone playing the latest radio program.
"Thirsty?" An Ruo twisted her fingers together. "How about I make you a cup of black tea? I saw a colleague add some milk to it today—it was pretty good."
The man's thin lips curled into a smile. "Sure."
An Ruo's heart pounded, afraid of revealing anything in front of him. She quickly grabbed the pills from her bag and went downstairs to brew the tea.
...
"Beep, beep, beep!"
The electronic alert startled An Ruo back to reality.
As she brewed the tea, her fingers trembled slightly. She unscrewed the bottle cap, poured out one pill, took a deep breath, and dropped it into the teacup.
An Ruo dug her nails into her palm. The sharp pain gradually brought her back to her senses. She forced herself to adjust her expression, picked up the tea tray, and headed upstairs.
"Tea's here."
She pushed open the door and saw the man still leaning against the headboard, waiting for her.
When he heard her voice, his smile deepened. "What took you so long?"
An Ruo felt a pang of guilt. "I messed up the first brew..."
"Did you burn yourself?"
The sudden concern made An Ruo's heart clench tightly.
She was trying to take his life, and he was worried about whether the tool had hurt her.
"No."
She poured him a cup, blew on it to cool it down, and handed it to him.
"It smells nice," the man said softly. "It must taste good."
An Ruo couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye, feeling as though even his unseeing gaze could see through her.
Shen Xiaoxing subtly shifted his gaze when she wasn't looking. "Should I drink it?"
He raised the cup to his lips slowly. An Ruo's nails dug deep into her skin, her heart torn between guilt and struggle.
He hadn't done anything wrong. She couldn't just kill an innocent person to protect her brother. If she did, she would betray everything her grandmother had taught her!
Just as the man was about to drink, An Ruo's resolve softened. Almost instinctively, she knocked the cup out of his hand. The ceramic cup hit the floor, soaking the expensive carpet...
She had relented after all.
Shen Xiaoxing paused, feeling a subtle stir of energy within him. His voice was low and husky. "What's wrong?"
"I suddenly remembered that drinking black tea at night isn't good. Better not." An Ruo's tone was hurried.
The man caught every flicker of her anxiety and guilt, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth. "Alright, I'll listen to you."
Why did he always listen to her?
Hadn't he always hated her?